Pokemon Colosseum: Heroes
by wrong wolf
Summary: Based on Pokemon Colosseum. Wes never had a normal life after he turned 8. Now 17 and an ex-criminal, he didn't know where to go until he met Rui. Together, we will see how this unlikely couple transformed into heroes.
1. My Reasons

OK guys if you don't know, this fic was originally called Legendary Salvation, but I have taken it down to do some edits to it. Now it is renamed as Pokemon Colosseum: Heroes (there is nothing to do with the TV show Heroes [which I don't own as well]). I have added the third chapter and going to change my other fic Shadow of the Day according to this to make it more canon. I will try my best to update more often

A major change is that Espeon is a GIRL. She is also not the sister or nor cousin of Umbreon (in other words: no blood relation).

Disclaimer: I don't own anything other than the plot

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Chapter 1: My Reasons

_I am not your typical teenager. _

_I am not some kind of teen you see everyday down the street. Someone might call me unique, but usually others just refer me as abnormal, both my physical appearance and my past. _

_Firstly, I have sandy-colored hair that stand me out from a crowd. Of course there are definitely other people in this world whose hair color is something like mine. What else? Yup, my eyes really scared a crap load of people. Sharp, golden eyes that lots of people say that they are unique, or weird, in a mean way. I guess they are from my father's side, and that is where my past comes into here._

_To make things simple, I got to admit that the man who left me and mom behind is my father. Not much memory of him survives in my mind, as I tried my best to wipe him out of my life. Westwood Wolf, the man who left home when I was around seven, never even bothered to send anything back, not even attended mom's funeral. Yeah, as you can see, I have no childhood at all. I never really attended school like a normal kid or had a Pokemon journey with my two Eevees like any other teenagers. A couple of months after Westwood left us, I found mom lying on the floor one day, breathing heavily. I screamed for help; I cried for my father, but only the kind neighbor next door came forward and brought a doctor afterwards. Mom had actually been hiding her sickness from me for a while already. I was not prepared; I was not ready to walk along this lonely road with my two Eevees. That night, I wrote stacks of letters to friends of my parents to ask them kindly to help me contact my dad, but all my efforts were wasted. He didn't even showed up to see mom for the last time. _

_I could still remember my last conversation with mom, on her bedside..._

"_Wes, is your father coming home?" those trembling words from her lips still linger in mind till now. _

_I didn't know what to answer; I didn't want her situation to get any worse. All I did was just nodding at her. _

"_Good. Remember to listen to him from now on and take good care of your Eevees. I love you two...always.", and her soft hand that was holding onto mine loosened the grip, dropped down and dangled lifelessly. _

_Indeed, even struggling in her last breath, mom still cared deeply for the man who had abandoned us. That's why my Eevees and I could never forgive that man, the person who brought us sorrows and false hopes to mom. At the funeral, villagers showed up to pay their respects to my beloved mom, while most of them came to give me a gentle pat on my shoulder. For the whole service, I kneed down in front mom's eternal resting place with my Eevees in my arms._

_However, the person that I desperately wanted to attend never came. Westwood probably didn't know about mom's death. I bet he didn't even know what kind of hardship and sorrow we were undergoing. Luckily I had my two Eevees standing by me. Though smaller than typical Eevees, those two have strong souls inside, sticking up for me and vowing to protect me in front of mom's grave while licking the tears off my cheeks. That's why I treat them like my brother and sister. They are all I had left now._

_The sun was going down when everyone started to depart. They all gazed at me curled up with my Eevees in front of mom's tombstone when they left. Some of them whispering, wondering what was I going to do, after both my mom and dad were gone now. After half an hour or so, when I thought I was the only one left behind, I saw a huge shadow casting over me. Instantly, I turned around, and faced a stranger, who I had never even seen before in the village. _

_The stranger was bald, muscular, and had strange looking eyebrows and mustache. From the way he was wearing his black suit, he didn't occurred to be the kind of person who wore it often. Here, the stranger stood behind me, staring down at me while I returned my tearful gaze at my future ex-boss. I remember the following conversation granted me a choice that had changed my life. _

"_You are Wesley Wolf, correct?" he asked me with such an intimidating voice. _

"_Don't call me Wesley!" I stuttered back, fighting back my tears. Since my father's departure, I tried to forbid others from calling me my full name; the way how Westwood insisted everyone to address me by my full name. _

"_Just like I thought. You had those piercing eyes like your father."_

"_That man was not my father! He didn't even show up!"_

_The stranger wasn't surprised by my rudeness. He just took out an envelope from his pocket, the one that I had sent to all those related to my parents. _

"_I am sorry about your family. Name is Gonzap. Westwood and I used to...how should I phrase it...have business with each other. I ran an...organization in Orre." he stated. _

_I was confused by the man's introduction. I didn't say a single word; rather I just fixed my gaze on that crunched up envelope in his grip, trying to avoid hearing anything that had something to do with father. _

"_As you can see, here in Orre people tend to go rough with their Pokemon, training them to be strong in battle in these harsh conditions and neglecting them of what they want: freedom in the open area. That's right. With vicious trainers from around the region, wild Pokemon became rare due to mass capture or extincted due to this damned dessert condition and fierce battles to survive against other trainers or Pokemon. Therefore I strongly believe we should give them what were deprived from them. We the Snagems were liberators of the oppressed shall grant suppressed Pokemon freedom!" _

_I could never forget his speech; how it motivated me and tricked me in the same time. He offered a position in his 'organization', guaranteeing me amnesty and allowing me to 'liberate the oppressed' with him. He gave me a night to consider his offer and told me to meet him the next morning. _

_I could barely sleep that night, mainly because the emptiness in my heart, the first night to be alone in this world, never able to feel the motherly touch any longer. I couldn't open my eyes though, or else I would believe I was waking up from a nightmare and became more depressed after finding out everything was true._

_But the quietness of the night also gave me a chance to think about my future. I kept thinking about Gonzap's offer, and after a long night of rolling around the bed with my two Eevees, I made the first decision of my life that could totally alter who I would become to be. Early next morning, I started to pack some practical stuff (mainly Pokemon potion and some old clothes, plus a family portrait), and ironically I could not separate myself from my father's old trench coat and his goggles. The royal blue trench coat was still too big for me, but I threw it at the bottom of my suitcase and put the shades on my head. There, after, many thought, I lit a fire and burned down the house totally, so that I could no longer look back. Without a second glance, my two Eevees and I began to walk to my rendezvous place with Gonzap, and that's when we lost our innocence. _

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If you have noticed, there are some similarities to the plot line of certain chapters of the manga Fullmetal Alchemist (I don't own that as well). Just note that I might base some characters on those in the manga


	2. Vendetta

Hello hello. You know what character is lacked in the plot line of Colosseum? A cool character who helps the protagonist from the shadows. So instead of a person, I have included a Pokemon, namely a Blaziken (one of my fav) into the plot. Be aware of it, it will come back occasionally. But for you information, that Blaziken is not Nascour's.

I don't mind if you want to use this Blaziken in your own fan fic, but just lemme know in advance. Mucho Gracias!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot line, or else I won't need to get a part time job.

Chapter 2: Vendetta

Training was tough for me and my two Eevees, but I believed it was still worth it. We tenaciously (but stupidly when I thought about it now) believed that we were the only ones who could liberate the oppressed Pokemon from their senseless trainers. We were assigned to tasks that weren't given to new recruits, such as battling tough trainers and operate a huge machine, known as the Snag Machine, that threw special balls to "rescue" (yup it really sounded stupid now) Pokemon by erasing their trainer id. We never failed a single task; it was so smooth everyday, although occasionally we would run into some trouble, but we always got rescued. Nope, not by my fellow Snagems, but a Pokemon that I had never seen before and came to my rescue every time. This Blaziken was like our guardian who watched over us. Whenever we ran into some serious shits (like once when we were being chased across the desert by a herd of Tauros), the Blaziken would just jump in and save the day. No one knew where he came from, but saved our ass every time. We owed him a lot.

By the way, lots of the members persuaded me to use Stones to make my Eevees to evolve. My voice? I agreed that things would be smoother and easier if my Eevees evolved, but I believed using Stones to evolve seemed unnatural and forceful. I just let nature played her trick, besides my Eevees much to everyone's surprise were the strongest among any Pokemon from my squad of Snagems . To everyone's astonishment, they did evolved, but without using Stones. One night when I was around thirteen, during a raid in a town we got caught up by some gangsters. One of my Eevees were paralyzed and the other one tried to protect his friend from the punks' Pokemon. When all seemed hopeless the moonlight shone encircled the little Pokemon; the blinding light covered his body and soon there was no longer a tiny brown Eevee, but an Umbreon who defended me and his friend from harm. The other one? Well after a night of jealousy she got her chance to show off in a few hours, when we were chased across the desert (again for the twentieth time). Umbreon was fast in kicking butts, but he needed a hand back then. Eevee, now fully recovered, observed the battle, waited for chance, when suddenly a vicious enemy dashed past Umbreon into Eevee, only when her body was engulfed by sunlights and evolved in an Espeon, assisting Umbreon in completing the task. From then on, we were classified as one of the top team in the organization.

I didn't doubt my actions during my service at Snagem. To be honest, I thought what I was doing truly deserve everyone's gratefulness. Loyal and powerful, we rose through the rank quickly, to the point of becoming the best Snagger and even given a custom made hand held Snag Machine. Everyone believed that I was going to be Gonzap's heir in the soon future, but I actually quite before that. Nope, I was not that egoistic to believe I was too good for them but because I debunked a secret. A lie that kept me thinking I was taking part in a salvation.

One day at our practice arena Gonzap seemed happier than usual, with his strange but sinister grin. He challenged a well-respected Snagem grunt for a Pokemon battle; strange thing was that he rarely challenged anyone for a match though. It became a talk of the day. Some of us speculated that he wanted to show everyone that he was still the best trainer around, and thus securing his leadership position. The match was a one on one format, and the grunt sent out a humongous Nindoking. Gonzap on the other hand sent out his loyal Skarmory. However, I could sense something strange with it. As the silver bird busted out from his Pokeball, it let out an angry screech. I could sense fear and anger in his eyes, and I became more confident that something was wrong when I saw him attacking furiously at the helpless Nindoking. Gonzap was just standing there, watching the combat without giving out any commands. Within a few minutes, the purple monster was down. Skarmory kept pecking until his master recalled him back. A shocked expression appeared on everyone's face. Something was definitely wrong. Terribly wrong.

The match became the headlines among us. Espeon, Umbreon, and I kept wondering what was wrong with that bird, until that fateful day that I understood the whole plot. When I became the first one to have the guts to ask him about our concern for his Pokemon, I overheard a conversation that shocked me, and made me realized that what I had stood for was actually what I tried to prevent.

"Was it satisfying?" A voice that I had never heard before said.

"Are you asking me if it is satisfying? It kept on attacking its foe and would turn to its trainer and everyone around if I didn't hold it back…. That's exactly what I want," Gonzap said to the phone.

"Perfect. By the way, the shipment just arrived. Pardon me, but I heard from an urban legend that you have a kid to snag all of those Pokemon you sent us. Is that true?"

"Is there a problem?"

"No, rather I am amazed at how one kid can snag all those high quality Pokemon in such short period of time."

"I will take that as a compliment. Indeed, I found this kid some years ago. Remember Westwood Wolf?" (I bit my lips when I heard that name.)

"Don't tell me that is his son."

"Indeed, mate. That is Wolf's son. Just like his father, most talented trainer I ever seen for ages. Dunno where he has gone now, but I was surprised to find his boy and even recruited him to join us. The kid, Wesley, was so enthusiastic man. He thought we are on some crusade to set the Pokemon in Orre free! He is so easy to manipulate."

"Not trying to jinx you man, but if he ever find out that all the Pokemon he thought he had liberated were here still caged in my lab, ready to be transformed into fighting machines, he might turn out just like his father. Gone without a sign."

"I will just put all the blame on you, Ein…."

I didn't stay to finish listening to the phone call. After realizing how I was deceived to be merely just a pawn to a whole sinister scheme, I admitted that I am no hero.

I am not any savior.

I was running towards the exit of the place, to be free of all the lies and deception, until I had a better plan. It was never too late for a small degree of redemption. I didn't know what I was about to do, but all in my mind was to pay back for all the evil things they fooled me to do.

I waited until three in the morning that night. Usually Snagem grunts were too lazy to stand guard all night. They might just ended up slacking somewhere. Guided by Umbreon, we planted C4 charges everywhere. At least we are not going to leave without a huge bang. As we climbed up onto the roof, we found that we were not alone. Umbreon and I immediately flinched when we saw a shadow, but in front of us was no other than the Blaziken. The two of us became relieved. He was the only one the three of us could trust now. The Blaziken gazed at the C4 I was holding, and me, and he nodded, seemed to be agreeing what I was doing now. He then just put on his cloak and jumped off to the desert, disappearing in the moonlights before we got back to planting the charges.

I didn't sleep for the rest of the night, probably excited and nervous about next morning. However, I kept wondering what would happen next. With the primary purpose of my life gone, I didn't know what I would do next.

"Espi….." Espeon purred. I patted her head. She just gazed at me, probably had the same fear I was having. Umbreon was also up and was rubbing his head on me. I smiled at them. Indeed, they were the only real friends I had. They were my inspiration and motivation. I leaned back; we would decide everything later.

I didn't know if I want the morning to come sooner. I was excited for my payback and freedom, yet I feared any failures and what came next afterwards. As Espeon's head twitched and ran towards the rising sun, I knew my moment had arrived. Quickly I washed myself up and put my boots on. I picked up the detonator and my trench coat, unsure if I was making the right decision.

They raised you and taught you everything.

They made use of your simple mind the entire time.

These voices kept debating as the three of us sneaked out. We went through the plan again, and afterwards Espeon hopped into the side seat my motorbike, starting the engine. With no time to waste, Umbreon and I walked back towards the building, and I pressed the button. There was no turning back now.

Boom.

The blast probably woke everyone up, but I didn't care though. Quickly I aimed my grapple gun at the hole and with the other hand grabbing Umbreon we were rappelled upwards. Through the smoke and debris we located what we needed: the new handheld Snag Machine. Quickly I put it on and hopped out of the building with Umbreon. As we dashed towards our bike we were pursuit by the entire team of Snagem led by Gonzap himself. It was too late for them however, as the three of us sped away before they were anywhere near us.

Oh, one more thing, that was not the only place I put the C4…

"Wanna hit it?" I asked my two Eeveelutions as I handed the detonator to them. The two of them ended up pressing the huge red button at the same time after a few seconds of cat fighting…

Boom again. I managed to put a C4 near every single Snag Machine they had to make sure that they could never commit such atrocities again. I knew it was not enough to make up of all the dirty works I had done for them in the pass, but we would worry about it later.

What mattered now was… FREEDOM!


	3. Sapphire Eyes

I started this fan fic more than a year ago and plan to finish it by Christmas, and it is summer and now I am just on chapter 3. Epic fail.

Hope you are enjoying it so far! Please tell me what you think about it if possible!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, or else Pokemon Battle Revolution will include an RPG mode.

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Chapter 3: Sapphire Eyes

The bike howled as it sped across the empty desert. Ambiguous of my destination, I decided to stop by the outskirt stand, a lone locomotive in the middle of the desert where travelers took their rest from their journeys. I occasionally stopped by there before, taking a break from Gonzap and the rest of the Team. This time however, would be a different experience. I was about to enter the place as a free man; free from Snagem and my criminal life.

"Brunch is on me," I said two my two Pokemon. The two of them seemed to share my thinking as well.

As I parked my bike I noticed my two Eons were gone. They went to investigate this pickup truck parked right in front of the locomotor (there weren't really any traffic laws in Orre). It was an old model with tattered green paint and a huge bag at the back of the truck. Umbreon even hopped on the truck to give it a sniff.

"Hey bro, get back here!" I whispered to them hoppng the owner of the truck won't notice them. The black Pokemon turned back at me, giving me a gaze as if he wanted me to come forward to join him. Even Espeon tugged my trench coat. Normally if only Umbreon was doing it, it might be just some food that caught his attention, but this time he was reinforced by his psychic companion, and Espeon's psychic power was never wrong...

"Yo what the hell are these furball doing on my truck?" The three of of became startled as we heard a voice. I turned around and saw a man with yellow and red hair yelling at me. He was accompanied by another guy with a black hat covering his green hair. "Shoo!" the green haired dude attempted to grab Umbreon's tail, but instead got bitten by the dark Pokemon. He hopped around yelling in pain. I just stood by my bike, not even thinking about stopping Umbreon. Espeon though seemed to stop fooling around and dragged Umbreon away.

"Don't let me see you and your cat friend and your trainer again!" green hair yelled.

"Yeah you tell him that Trudly!" his companion yelled with him as they drove away.

I shook my head, but smirked at my two Pokemon. Seriously what would life be without them?

Anyway as we entered the place, the theme music of the news report boomed. We all turned towards the anchorwoman who was reporting on an emergency news. Seems like the explosion of the hideout attracted attention from the local authorities, and the cops had moved in and arrested many Snagem members.

Such a great good bye gift.

"According to the authorities, the snag machines have been destroyed by the explosion, but a newly developed one which was said to be able to be carried by one person wasn't found yet." The anchorwoman concluded. I gazed at the snag machine on my left arm, hopping others would just think it was a strange fashion statement. At first I wanted to destroy it so no body can use it to snag Pokemon again. However deep inside I thought it would be a pity.

I sat on the stool, watching Umbreon trying to climb onto the one next to me. He kept falling down while Espeon gracefully hopped onto another stool. I order some simple breakfast for the two while I just had a coffee. I didn't sleep at all last night when planning the escape plan; I need the caffeine to hold myself up.

"Hey dude," someone grabbed my shoulder. I turned around and was relieved that the person wasn't a cop, but just a rider with... pink hair? People seriously had weird fashion senses in Orre.

"Yo are you a trainer?" the guy asked.

I simply nodded

"Heh, I could see it in your eyes," he said and went back to his table.

Espeon and Umbreon both watched the pink haired guy walking back to his seat. They both gave me the same confused look.

"Just another weirdo in Orre," I said, patting them both.

"Hey son I have seen you around before, are you a traveler?" the owner of the restaurant, a huge muscular guy asked. I simply gave him a "yeah".

"Where are ya heading next?"

I stared at him blankly. He is right, I thought. I didn't know where I would be going next. After Snagem, I really had nowhere else to turn to.

"Hey pal, you might as well head to Phenac City, it was the nearest town from here."

Well, since I have no other plans in my mind, I might as well just spend a day or even the night there. My two Pokemon had already finished their meals. I paid the owner and thanked him and as we headed to our bike some called us. It was the pink haired werido.

"Hey before you go, how about a battle right here?" he asked. I looked at my Pokemon. I guess they would like some exercises after the breakfast. I nodded at him.

"Great! I am on fire now!" that dude said. He took out his two Pokemon and summoned his two Zigzagoon. The two brown furred Pokemon started jogging around their trainer. Umbreon and Espeon hopped in front of me, calmly and steadily. One of the Zigzagoon dashed towards Espeon, trying to tackle her but only to hit her Reflect shield and bounced back. The Pokemon fell on the ground and became unconscious. Espeon sighed at her pathetic attacker. The other Zigzagoon saw its friend fainted, but was too slow to notice Umbreon was behind him. The dark Pokemon bit the Zigzagoon's tail and tossed it towards the unconscious Zigzagoon. It dropped on the ground without moving. Pink Hair sighed yet kept smiling and recalled his Pokemon back to their Pokeball.

"Wow, your two Pokemon are so well trained! How could they do that?" He asked.

"Just practice," I replied simply while trying to hide my smirk; it was too early to be mean by saying the two Zigzagoon were too pathetic.

"That was awesome man. We should do that again! By the way, my name is Willie."

"Wes," I simply responded. I guess it was alright to leave my first name; Wes should be a common name around here, I hope. He wouldn't know who I was.

Umbreon and Espeon came back towards me, nudging my legs. I gave them both a pat and hopped onto my bike while they got onto the side cart. Without looking back at Willie, I zoomed away, towards Phenac. The sun was setting soon, and I hoped I could arrive before it turned dark. I had seen the Orre covered in dark; it wasn't a good sight.

Luckily Phenac was closer than I expected. I parked my bike at a cave near by, and the three of us jogged towards the entrance, where some kind of commotion was going on. I hid behind a wall, wishing there weren't cops or any checkpoints.

Such a small world. The two gangsters wannabes from the outskirt stand were here, carrying the sack. From here, I could clearly see the two of them struggling with it. As I paid more attention to the sack they were holding I almost freaked out. It was squirming wildly, trying to get out to the grasp of the two man. The two gangster (or wannabes) started to swear at each other and mentioned something about a certain girl who could see Shadows. The sack continued to move violently until the two were too tired to move on. They dropped the bag on the floor; I swore I could here someone screaming "ouch" inside. Green hair shook his head and turned towards my direction.

"You! What are you looking at you punk?" he yelled loudly before I could react. The next thing I knew was that the guy with red and yellow hair threw his Pokeball out, releasing two Whismur. Damn, why did I run into so many trainers who tried to intimidate others with unevolved normal type Pokemon today? I turned at my two Pokemon, who looked stiffed after the ride. I gave them the green light.

Comparing to my two Eons, the two Whismurs were totally unprepared and poorly treated. The two of them became over sized furballs for the Eeveelutions. Umbreon was glad to have some fun after what happened today. He dashed towards one of the Whismur, picked it up, and swung it around a bit, and tossed it towards Espeon, who made it collide with the other Whismur who was too startled to do anything. Clearly, the two normal type Pokemon were knocked out before their trainer could realize anything. He was still barking orders at his Pokemon when they laid motionlessly on the ground. Seriously these guys should laid off whatever they were smoking.

"Hey," I finally said, "hey, right here. It's all over you pothead."

"Heh I know that trick you are playing man. You are trying to distract us so your Pokemon can finally get near mine right? Man I am not that stupid." Seriously, these guys must be high or drunk. I simply pointed at the two fainted Whismur. Espeon was tired of tossing them around, yet Umbreon was still chewing them like a toy. Folly cursed and recalled his Pokemon. Soon an athlete looking person with his Castform jogged towards us, and followed by a woman.

"What's going on here?" the lady asked.

"You just missed a fight! That guy's Eeveelutions took down the Whismurs within seconds!" the guy said

Then the woman turned towards the sack. "What is in there?"

"It is err... a fish." Flaming head said. They were definitely too high to think straight I bet.

"Folly you are such an idiot! What my retard friend here was saying that it was a fish Pokemon, you know, a Margikarp in the sack!" Green hair added in nervously.

"Is it yours?" athlete boy asked.

"No... I mean yeah! Of course it is ours!"

"You are thieves?" the woman gasped.

"No you bitch. We are kidnappers! Get it? Kiiiiiiidddddnaaaaapppperrrsssss! K-I-D-N-A.... damn Folly how do you spell it?"

"Damn it Trudly why did I team up with such a dim wit like you? Now they know who we are!" Folly yelled at his partner while whacking his head with his gloves.

Umbreon growled, ready to jump at the two idiots. They looked at the Pokemon, then me (cracking my knuckles here) then slowly stepped to the entrance. Umbreon jumped and bit Folly's butt. Immediately he screamed like a girl and pushed his partner towards their vehicle.

"You overdid things again bro," I smirked at Umbreon, who somehow copied my smirk. Espeon, however, was too busy examining the sack. She then dragged Umreon by his tail, who in turn was holding onto my jacket. Soon all three of us were on the ground.

"Hey can you give us a hand here? We gotta let the Pokemon out, or else it will dehydrate," the woman said.

I nodded and took out a switchblade. I cut the rope apart and was expecting to see a fainted Pokemon struggling when I found myself gazing at something else.

A redheaded girl with pigtails wearing a light blue jacket over her purple tank top, white mini skirt, and a pair of pink boots was tied up in there. From her appearance she didn't seemed to be a local here. However, most importantly, she was unconscious.

"Hey lady you alright?" the athlete looking boy asked while fanning the poor girl.

"She still has a pulse, but faintly. She needs mouth to mouth resuscitation," the woman said.

"Eww don't look at me I am too young for that!" the boy stuck his tongue out and started to back away. The lady glared at him.

"Well do you mister?" two pairs of eyes suddenly turned towards me. I glanced down at my Pokemon; Umbreon was restraining himself from laughing. Espeon, however, gave me a do-it-or-she-will-die look. I sighed.

Gently I opened her mouth and pressed mine on it. I gripped the stone on the ground tightly and closed my eyes to prevent making the scene more awkward. Ignoring all the glances I took a deep breath through my nose and blew two shallow breath into the unconscious girl. After what seemed like an eternity I felt a twitch and immediately backed off. The girl slowly opened her eyes and I tried to turn back but couldn't stop starring at her when she opened her eyes.

Those sapphire blue eyes were certainly the most beautiful things I had ever seen.

Our eyes then met. I could feel my cheeks started to burn madly and immediately faced my back towards her.

"Hey you alright?" the lady asked the girl.

"Hmm... I feel kind of dizzy. Where am I?"

"Phenac City. Don't worry, that guy over there chased those goons away. You should have seen that fight!" I couldn't help thinking how loud mouthed that athlete boy was after he said that.

The girl once turned towards me again. "Thank you so much mister. Can I have the name of my hero?"

"Wes." I responded naturally. Inside I wanted to slap myself for saying that. Some people might know that I was from Snagem and could be in trouble if I revealed my name.

"Awesome! Anyway my name is Rui. Rui Anca. By the way did those goons used any strange looking Pokemon just now?"

"The only thing weird about them is that they are exceptionally weak. That guys' Eeveelutions beat them within a few seconds." Once again, athlete boy is being a loud mouth.

Rui looked at my Pokemon. Espeon remained next to me while Umbreon stepped forward to nudge her leg affectionately. I nearly shot a glare at him.

"Aww... hi there. Thanks for saving me just now!" she said while scratched Umbreon's ears. Umbreon noticed my worsened glare and gave me a stupid grin. He only allowed me to touch him, and now... well you get the point.

"Why were you kidnapped, may I ask?" loud mouth asked.

"Well I came from Goldenrod, Johto to visit my grandparents and the bus stopped by a town called Pyrite. I then noticed a Pokemon battle taking place and one of the gangsters used this Pokemon with a strange purple aura around it. It was also really aggressive and scary as well so I asked its trainer what he did to the poor thing and next thing I knew I was in a sack."

I flinched immediately. Umbreon also became serious and looked at me. Espeon sat up and had a frightened look. We all remembered the evil Skarmory Gonzap had. Could they be related?

"You know, you should tell the mayor about it. He can help you to investigate about your kidnap." The lady suggested helpfully.

"That's a perfect idea. I should do that now actually!" Rui said while seemed like she had forgotten about the fact that she almost suffocated in that sack.

"Wes," Rui then turned towards me. "Can you do me a favor and come with me? I am scared that those gangsters might be back..."

I was about to say no since I was still on the run, but for some reasons when I looked at her eyes I couldn't say it. I just nodded naturally.

"Great! Thanks Wes you are the best!" Rui said and hugged me. At first I was completely overwhelmed. The last time someone hugged me was when I was eight. I could feel my cheeks sizzling as well. Rui then released me and held onto my arm as we (or she dragging me) towards the direction of the mayor's office. Umbreon and Espeon followed closely behind us. The Dark Pokemon gave the Psychic a silly smile while she just rolled her purple eyes.


	4. Wolf Talk

Yo. Can't believe it is August already. Summer holiday gets shorter every year. Better enjoy the next two weeks.

By the way, thank you so much for your reviews! Really help to push me forward!

I don't know when will I update soon as college is starting soon for me, but I will try not to make you guys wait too long. Hope you all understand.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon but I own the plot.

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Chapter 4: Wolf Talk

Espeon's PoV

I heard from Wes' mom that I came from a prestigious bloodline that could be traced back to the Eevees belonged to royalties. I never cared about it. Once I was hatched in Wes' warm arms, I made an oath to serve the person who raised and loved me so much.

Not only I will see Wes as a master, but a brother, friend, and guardian. I really admire him, able to live on his life after his mom died when he was eight. I never met my parents before, but I have Wes who cared me so much. It is so unfair that Wes had to go through all these at such a young age. He don't deserve being left alone and lied into a criminal organization! But he never cried. The last time I had seen him tearing was at his mother's funeral. He had never shed a single tear since. But I could also see the sorrow building up inside him. It wasn't a great scene watching him holding his tears sometimes at night.

Umbreon and I know it... to be more exact, Umbreon was absolutely clueless about what was going on. He is always the go-happy type. I am not surprised to know that Wes found him in some alley. He isn't the brightest one, yet he is courageous when it comes to protecting Wes and me, sometimes he is a bit cute... wait what was I saying? Forget what I just said okay?

Anyway I know Wes for my entire life. I know that he had been putting on a mask to hide his pain and suffering inside. One major rule to survive here in Orre: never show that you are vulnerable, in order words, play tough all the time. No one would want to mess with Wes as he always displayed his tough side...

Well, not today.

I can clearly see Wes' soft side right now. Seems like this Rui girl is changing Wes. With her holding onto his arm, Wes is walking awkwardly and rigidly, and yet I can sense that he is letting his guard down, trying to open to her. And something I haven't seen for ages reappeared: he is blushing. Madly.

Seems like having her around isn't a bad thing after all.

* * *

Umbreon's PoV

Espeon once told me that I never take things seriously. I admit that sometimes I might be acting a bit immature. But the truth is that we got to relax sometimes, or else when we might have a nervous wreck.

Yeah, I am from the street. Unlike Espeon, I was really dumped and abandoned by my parents when I was still in an egg. Lukily a young Wes found me in an alley of Pyrite and took me home. He actually hid me away from his parents, but he provided the warmth and care I never had. Before I was hatched, I could feel how he hold me tightly with his gentle hands, how he cherished the first company he ever had.

And then the day came. I popped my head out and the first thing I saw were the golden eyes of my caretaker. We became inseparable. We were like brothers. We shared many experiences together. I had watched him grow, from the small but active kid to the ambitious yet caring teenager.

And I had seen how he had suffered that day his mom passed away. He was holding me and the Eevee who would become Espeon tightly. I knew how fragile he was, and I had to repay for what he had done to raise me. That's why I will always protect him, just like how he used to protect me.

But hey, as I said, you shouldn't live life this tense man. You gotta do what you enjoy man before your life is over. That's what I always told Espeon. That silly girl, she really cares about Wes, but she got to ease down a bit. She thinks she is being mature and smart but she is hiding her cute side. Yeah I said it, I have a crush on her alright? There is nothing wrong saying that.

And today my boy Wes becomes a man. This Rui girl hasn't kept his eyes from her savior. Though she and Wes seem like totally opposite person, they really match. I can see that she really likes him. And Wes, I know how the minds of us guys work. Trying to act tough and cool. That's how I am seeing this.

This is gonna be fun.

* * *

Wes' PoV

"You know back in Johto Umbreon and Espeon are really rare. Not many people know how to raise them and you did it. You know, whenever people get their hands on an Eevee, they will be too impatient and just give them stones to evolve," Rui kept talking. But for some reasons, I don't mind hearing her saying all these things. To my surprise, I even answered her questions without finding her annoying.

"So where did you catch them?"

"I found them. I found Umbreon in an alley in Pyrite when he was an egg. I got Espeon in an egg as well, but at a fair. I was trying to look for a companion for my Eevee and there I found her."

"Actually among all the people I know, you are the only one who refer your Pokemon as 'he' and 'she' rather than using 'it'"

"I just treat them as my brother and sister."

"Cool! I actually have that habit as well. Some people find it annoying so I tried to cut it but most of the time I can't"

She was still holding onto my arm. I never made any effort to get off. I knew I looked awkward, but for some reason I felt really peaceful around her. Yet my heart is beating madly... damn these confusing feelings. What am I talking about now?

By the way, I never mentioned about giving her a mouth to mouth just now.

I didn't want to freak her out. I really enjoyed this relationship with her now and I didn't want her to think differently about me... Shit, am I being too soft or what?

Most importantly, I didn't want her to find out that I was an ex criminal from Snagem. I knew that people in Orre loathed Snagem a lot. Wasn't hard to figure that out. Even though she didn't know what Snagem was since it was her first time in Orre, I just didn't want her to know about my dark past. Not because I was scared that she would call the cops, but I felt like she would go away if she ever found out.

And I cared about it... (Damn why am I becoming so soft all of a sudden?) She was the first person (not counting Espeon and Umbreon) after the death of mom who really showed affection towards me.

"By the way Wes, what is your last name?" she asked

There, she got me right there. I struggled for a while, thinking whether should tell her or lie. I gazed back at Umbreon and Espeon. Both of them gave me a nod.

"Wolf," I said reluctantly.

"Wes Wolf... no it is Wesley Wolf right?"

I immediately halted. Rui knew that for some reason she had said something wrong because she just let go of my tightened arm. The peaceful and relaxed sensation was gone and replaced by a burning hatred upon hearing my full first name. I wanted to yell at her, telling her to shut up loudly, but I did not. I just put on my shades, covering my eyes. How could I ever get mad at her?

"Never, ever, call me Wesley," I said while trying to remain calm. "Just Wes... please."

"Oh, I am sorry, Wes. I just thought – "

"Doesn't matter, I just don't like people calling me that name. Reminds me of a sad story in my family." Damn it, why did I involve my family history in this?

"Oh... speak about it where do you live? What time do you have to return home?"

There, she pushed the button again. I sighed and gazed at the sky. Both Umbreon and Espeon rushed to my sides. They knew the conversation was becoming a bit too sensitive.

"I have no home to return to," I said. It was better to be honest and tell her everything so she wouldn't have to ask me again. "Mom passed away when I was eight and my dad, well just say that he ditched us so he is as good as dead to me."

There was a moment of silence. She then embraced me, catching me off guard.

"I am so sorry Wes. I didn't know..."

I put my shades back on my forehead and looked into Rui's eyes. I smile naturally. It had been so long since someone had given me a nice warm hug.

"It is alright. Don't worry about it. It was so long ago already," I explained. We then continued to walk forward again for a while until stop stopped all a sudden.

"Hey Wes," she squeezed my arm gently. "What is Snagem?"

"Huh, what?" I replied alertly. "Where did you see that?"

She pointed at an abandoned newspaper left on the side of the fountain. Damn these people, why would they leave their garbage around? Anyway the headline read "Snagem Base destroyed. Boss was on the run."

"Snaggem was... a criminal organization in Orre. Just a petty bandit group," I said sheepishly, trying to make it a small matter.

"Oh, that was interesting. What crimes they committed?"

"They..." there were no points lying about that. "They steal Pokemon."

"Then what are you talking about? They aren't any petty bandit group if they steal Pokemon!" I was a bit surprised to see how concerned she was.

Yeah, it was a good thing not to let her know about my past.

~*~*~*~

You know comparing to others my sense of fashion was more normal, even with my Snag Machine on. I mean the fashion statement here freaked me out. Well the reason I was mentioning about it was because upon arriving to the mayor's office this dude came out and totally creep me out. He was a tall guy with long and wild silver hair. There was not any wind around and his hair could fly in random direction. His eyes were so red that I couldn't really see his pupils. But that was not all. What he wore really scared me. He was wearing purple spandex. It was so tight around his body that it looked like his skin was purple. He was also wearing a scarlet skirt, for God's sake, a man wearing a skirt! Okay I know that it wasn't exactly a skirt but a weird cloth with some wild cutting around his waist but it looked like a skirt!

Worse of all, he was gazing down at me with those diabolical eyes, smirking creepily.

"Hmm you must be a trainer, a strong one with a bright future to be more exact. I can see that in your eyes." He spoke with a low voice. Rui stepped behind me while Espeon and Umbreon moved in front, ready to jump at the hippie. I didn't reply.

"I can see that we will meet again in the soon future. I look forward to that day," he continued speaking in his low voice, then ended his statement with a menacing laugh and left. I sighed relievedly.

Man why did I bump into so many weirdos today?

But that wasn't over. When we entered the mayor's office, I found myself dealing with another peculiar situation. The mayor, Es Cade, had a more normal sense of fashion. His initial appearance seemed pretty normal to me. Yet after Rui explained what happened to him Es Cade didn't seem to think it as a huge matter but rather an insignificant thing.

"You know these things actually happen all the time in Orre when people start poking into others' business which I suggest you two not to." the mayor said jovially.

"But sir, the Pokemon..." Rui tried to bring up the subject again

"It might just be the heat, giving you the hocus pocus which is highly possible since you are new here. But we must be sure about it though. I will send someone to look over it."

"Thank you so much sir."

"No problem. In the meantime why don't you enjoy the city? Phenac is known as the jewel of Orre, the oasis of the desert. You two should visit the Pre-Gym and the Colosseum," the mayor said with a high pitched laugh.

We then left the office, after finding no point of lingering around. I was glad to be out in the sun again. I just couldn't stand to be in the same room with that guy.

"The mayor seems nice. I hope he can find something about it," Rui said.

"Not to pop your bubble but I don't really know if he would actually do anything about it."

"He might just be a busy man."

"Or he is in league with the organization," I joked.

"Wes what movies have you been watching lately?"

~*~*~*~

I had never been in trainer school before so I had no idea what it was like in a gym. The Phenac Pre-Gym was a decent facility. It had a section that taught beginners and a rectangular stage for battling, but I guess Umbreon didn't seem like the type who enjoyed school.

"Welcome," the guy with purple hair greeted us. "I am Justy, the Pre-Gym leader. How can I help you two today?"

"Urgh hi, we are travelers and we were just walking around," Rui answered for me.

"That's cool. Hmm that's an interesting pair you got there," Justy said, looking at my Pokemon.

I shrugged.

"I know quite a few people who raise Eevees. Yet they never succeed in evolving them without the means of stones. You must be a really good trainer to do so," he continued.

I shrugged again while Umbreon grinned.

"Yeah I know! I am from Johto and I haven't seen too many people who can raise an Umbreon or Espeon," Rui joined in.

"So I guess you must have this new upgrade to your PDA. It's an awesome version for experienced trainers like you. May I?"

I handed him my PDA and watched him connected a cable from his computer to it. After half a minute he handed it back to me with a booklet.

"Here's your upgraded PDA and an instruction manual. Have fun with it!"

I stared at the booklet with great contempt. After we left the gym I threw it into the garbage bin. I had never read a single instruction manual in my entire life. Even for my bike, I just learned how to ride it by watching others.

We went to the Colosseum afterwards. I always wanted to participate in a Colosseum match. With hundreds and maybe even thousands of spectators watching you battling, it must really be an honor. We were a bit too late however, as the match had already begun and there were no tickets left.

If you call that bad luck though, then what was about to be happen would be a catastrophe.

When we exited the Colosseum a group of people were approaching us. My worst fear became true as I saw these people were wearing identical red jackets, bald, and wearing huge headphones. The Snagem grunts had tacked me down here.

"Wes, who are those people?" Rui asked without noticing the danger ahead.

"Team Snagem, you better stand back," I said.

"Hey Wesley old boy!" one of the Snagem called out. I nearly allowed myself to jump forward and beat the living crap out of him. Espeon and Umbreon growled menacingly at them.

"Yo where have you been man? You know how mad the boss is? You better come back with us now," another Snagem said.

"Wes," Rui grabbed my arm nervously. "How do these people know who you are?"

"How?" the third Snagem cried out as if Rui asked the most senseless question. "Your new boyfriend here is a legend. Best snagger we ever have. Too bad he stole that snag machine and blew up our base. Oops, did I just tell her your biggest secret Wesley?" I almost lost control. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists.

"Wes, is that true? You were part of them before?" Rui asked nervously.

It took a while, but I finally nodded, having no points to lie to her further. "Yes, I was once in Snagem, but they lied to me. I thought I could save the Pokemon in Orre," I tried to explain, but Rui shook her head in disbelief.

"Boohoo! Tough luck Wesley!" The grunts taunted. "Now hand over the machine and we will leave you to make up with your little girlfriend."

I couldn't stand it any longer. I jumped at the closest guy, tackling him onto the ground. As I punched his face one of the other grunt tried to help him, but was also taken down by Umbreon who prowled onto him.

"Why you little!" The third grunt yelled and threw out two Pokeballs. A Koffing and a Corphish bursted out.

The Koffing started to emit smoke, but was blasted backwards by Espeon, who was waiting for the perfect moment. Having a type disadvantage, the poison type fainted after one Confusion attack. The Corphish used its Bubblebeam attack on Espeon, the shot ended up hitting Umbreon, who abandoned the grunt and dashed forward to take the shot. However the attack did a minor damage on him. He stood back up again, and his rings on his legs glowed. Bright yellow arrows were shot out and hit the Corphish. The Secret Power attack did a significant damage on the water type Pokemon as it staggered backwards and fell down the staircase.

After giving him a considerable beating I stood back up. The grunt was pulled back up by his comrades and recalled the fainted Pokemon.

"You watch it Wesley. Gonzap will find you and you will drop on your knees to beg for mercy..." the grunt said and disappeared. I ran up to Umbreon and checked his wounds. Nothing seemed too big, but I better bring him and Espeon to the Pokemon Center later.

Then suddenly I realized I had forgotten about Rui, who was standing there still with a shocked expression. I walked up to her, looking all guilty when she suddenly swung her arm and slapped my face. Tears were rolling down from her wonderful sapphire eyes.

"How... how could you do that to me Wes? I trusted you and thought you were such a good person, but you were actually one of them...." she sobbed. My heart ached so much watching her right now. Rare drops of desert rain started to fall from the sky.

"Rui. Let me explain I -" I was cut off by another slap. I touched my the part where she hit me. Rain continued to pour down.

"I can't believe a single word out of your mouth any longer. I thought we were friends, but all this is just a deception! That's why you were so reluctant when I asked you about it just now! That's why you think it is only a petty crime because you are a legend at it!" Her words just pierced my hearts when she emphasized 'friends' and 'legend'. She really treated me as a friend, but I screwed up big time now.

"Rui, please..."

"Go away, you liar..."

"RUI CAN PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!" I tried to restraint myself but couldn't hold back any longer. "I NEVER WANT TO STEAL POKEMON IN THE FIRST PLACE! I AM THE ONE WHO GOT LIED TO AND USED!"

Rui just stared at me with horror on her face. Even Umbreon and Espeon flinched at my outburst. I couldn't believe what I said just now. But Rui walked forward, shoved my aside and ran down the stairway while sobbing.

"Rui... I am sorry, I..." I couldn't go on any further. I slammed my fist onto the wall while droplets of rain poured onto me.

Snagem truly ruined my life.


	5. Holding out for a Hero

Hi everyone! Thanks for your support! I decided to post this chapter up earlier. At first it was supposed to be longer, but I cut it into two parts.

Really, thanks for all your support! I hope I can bring you the next chapter as soon as possible.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. If I have money, I will own a colosseum in my backyard though

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Chapter 5: Holding out for a Hero

Wes' PoV

"_Hello Wes," the kind owner of the flower shop called out. "The sun is setting already. You should head home soon. Your mom must be worried sick about you."_

"_Yeah I am running can't you see!" I cried back while sticking my tongue out. My two Eevee were following me, galloping hard with their little feet. _

_There, we had arrived. The cottage on top of a hill. Painted in white and a red roof, it looked like everyone's else but still gave me a comfortable feeling. It wasn't far from the village market so I could always run back in time for supper. I passed a mailbox with the words 'Wolf' written on it and soon I was in front of my doorstep. The little lamp above the door frame wasn't turned on, but I didn't care. I opened the door and light poured into the dark house inside. None of the light was on strangely. Knowing something was wrong, I immediately called out for her..._

"_Mom?" There were no answer. I called again, but still I couldn't hear the warm voice replying me. I walked deeper into the house, unfamiliar with the atmosphere. Suddenly I saw her... lying on the floor unconsciously. Tears started to flood out. I ran up to her sides, shaking her gently while calling out her name. Her lips and face were like those of a specture, yet she was still breathing, but not for long. In a few days, I became an orphan..._

This memory became a nightmare that constantly haunted me for the past nine years. I never got used to it, and the worst part was I wouldn't know what I would be expecting once I was in the dream. The shock and fear seemed to be always new to me. I would always wake up sweating and panting. I wouldn't be surprised if I was sleep talking as well, calling out for mom. Every time I woke up, I would feel so fragile, and worst, feeling so lonely.

And right now at this very moment, even I was still awake, I could feel the same sorrow and loneliness. Seeing Rui walking away from me reminded me of the memory I could never forget. A moment ago I thought like I would finally make a friend, then just now I was lonely again. She even admitted that she thought me as her friend who she trusted, but now it was all over. The pain, from the slap she gave me, the wound she gave me when she decided she couldn't trust me anymore, was flowing through my body like the raindrops...

Oh, and by the way, I just realized I was still in the rain. I didn't care though... but then I saw Espeon and Umbreon. They were both right next to me, in the rain nudging my soaked body. At least they cared about me. I couldn't lose them though. I couldn't allow them to catch a cold because they decided to stand by me. Even feeling so down, I forced a smile at them and rubbed their ears.

"Thanks guys. Come on, let's find some shelter first."

Soon we found ourselves back in the Colossuem. The lady at the reception glanced at me with a twisted face as we sat on the comfy sofas (I just realized we were even more soaked than the time a Blastoise blasted us away with its Hydro Cannons). To me, it wouldn't really be a pity if the Snag Machine got wet. It would be better if it got destroyed so nobody could use it bad again. I took off my trench coat which the inside was still dry and warm and we all went to the bathroom where we dried ourselves up with the hands dryer which surprisingly was strong enough to dry us up quickly. I guess we were pretty fortunate that the reception lady didn't call security guards on us.

But now what...?

So we were back to the three of us again. I could just pretend that nothing happened, that I had never met Rui in the first place as she was out of my life now, could I? That should work... not. The more I tried to forget about her, the more her image popped up in my mind. Her kind smile, her brilliant sapphire eyes, and of course the warmth she gave me when she embraced me... I couldn't get my mind off her.

I sighed. How did I get so soft? I was never like this, never regretted anything in the past, always the tough guy and now... damn. I stood up and walked out. No matter what, I got to do one thing. I got to apologize to Rui then I could explain to her if she wanted to listen. I had hurt an innocent girl's feelings, and I had to fix it up (and damn, when did I become so gentlemanly?)

~*~*~*~

The rain really hindered the search. The three of us stayed in shelters most of the time when we looked for her around the city, which of course limited the area. Then this feeling started inside me. I felt like someone was twisting my heart (a bit to cliché and cheesy here right?), then I realized that I was worried about Rui, worried that she would get sick in the rain. The more I thought about it, the more desperate I became. After running around we finally sat down on a bench in the PokeMart to catch a breath. An idea came into my mind, it may sound ridiculous but it might be the only chance to reach Rui...

"Espeon," I asked the tired Pokemon. "If a guy you like, I mean, you like in a friendly way hurts your feelings, what would you do next?

Espeon gave me a confused look. For some reason Umbreon gazed at her with a curious face as if he too wanted to know the answer. The lavender cat turned away while blushing madly. With a mischievous smirk, Umbreon walked closer to her, urging her to answer my question but only got whacked by her tail. Still blushing madly, she jumped off the seat and went out in the rain while still blushing furiously.

"Hey, where do you think you are going?" I called for Espeon while dashing out the store with Umbreon.

Man, girls these days...

Espeon's PoV

_Boys these days! I mean what were they thinking? Why would Umbreon be so obnoxious! I am a girl, for crying out loud, and who did he think he was when he slipped so close to me, giving me his stupid grin and gazed into my eyes as if I was Juliet and he was Romeo! These question were so sensitive to us! Wouldn't that big headed dog give me some room?_

_And why am I even flushing like mad! Oh yeah Umbreon, you want to know what will I do if someone hurt my feelings right? I would certainly kick that person's buttocks and you damn know I am serious! If you are not a dark type, I could have whacked you so hard just now with all my psychic powers to send you to the moon where you belong to! _

_And Wes... there is nothing really wrong with you, except you got to admit it. You know deep in your heart that you like Rui, that's why you are getting all these feelings. There is no hiding it... _

I kept running. Thinking about those two guys that I was closest to gave me a headache. It was still raining pretty hard out here. My ears were drooped down as rain poured on my back. Suddenly I picked up a strange signal. As a psychic type, I had the ability to sense others' emotions and enables me to locate them. It was like a radar in my mind that I could turn on or off whenever I wanted. At first I thought it was Wes, as I sensed a really sorrow and sad emotion. However it was different from his. This one seemed worse, it was a feeling of despair and betrayal. I followed the signal until I reached an alley, when I found a figure sitting on and ground and against the wall. She was wrapping around her legs and leaning her forehead against them. All soaked, she seemed to be in the rain the whole time.

I approached Rui and purred. She looked at me with her sky blue eyes. She obviously had been crying.

"...Espeon?" She said as she stroked me. "Why are you here? Where is your trainer?"

I hopped onto her and licked her icy cold face. No wonder why Wes was so worried. She needed to get dry soon. Hope Wes and Umbreon could find us soon. Rui hugged me tightly and started to cry as I rubbed on cheecks.

"Wes...he treated you and Umbreon so well right?" She said in a weak voice. "I mean I can see he really loves you two... he might not be too bad after all then. Maybe I should give him a chance to – "

I had to cut her off as I saw a purple sphere spinning towards us. I jumped out of Rui's arms to take the hit. It happened too fast that I didn't had enough time to deploy my reflect shield and took the full impact. I fell on the wet floor but managed to stagger up. It was the Koffing from before. Behind it stood the three Snagem.

"Corphish, now!" the Snagem yelled. I realized that I fell into a simple trick as I concentrated on the Koffing without noticing its partner. I was alone, without Wes or Umbreon to back me up. How stupid was I, running off like this and now ended up being flanked by some jerks. Seems like I wasn't as rational as I thought I was. I watched in horror as the Corphish leaped towards me with its claws wide open...

The hit never came though. A black canine with glowing yellow rings jumped in front and took the hit. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as Umbreon fell down. A bit of blood oozed from its mouth as he dropped down with a _thud_. He gazed at me weakly, then closed his crimson eyes. I could hear Wes calling for Umbreon with shock. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. A couple minutes ago I thought Umbreon was the most ignorant creature on earth and a few seconds ago he saved me the second time today and now was on the ground, unconscious. How could... how could I allow this to happen? I just lost a partner, no, actually a close friend just because I was acting so inconsiderate and demented. I should be the one who took the hit! I should be the one one the ground!

Wes' whole body was shaking. He fell on the ground and had a blank expression on his face. Rui covered his mouth and stared in horror. The Snagem though, were laughing and cheering. They started to call Umbreon and Wes names, and even kicked the water on the ground, splashing Wes and Umbreon's body. I couldn't take this no more. Umbreon gave his life to protect me so I could continue to protect Wes, I couldn't let him die like this. An adrenaline rush seemed to slow everything down again, yet this time I would be in control. I focused all the remaining energies in me on those bastards and fired a multicolored beam that directly hit the Koffing. The poison Pokemon was blew backwards which hit the Corphish behind it and both of them were hurled towards the three Snagem. All of them were blasted into the sky.

After the outburst, I felt so tired, yet with the remaining the strength I staggered towards Umbreon and dropped down next to him. I suddenly remembered Wes' question and thought about Umbreon. I didn't know how to reply Wes, but Umbreon just answered, no, he demonstrated what he would do. I hurt Umbreon's feelings by pushing him away, yet he would come here and sacrifice his life to save me. I just found out that all the time I just know him by his facade.

"Umbreon..." I whispered next to his ears while my eyes were filled with tears. "I... I am so sorry for what I have down! I was wrong! I was actually the fool while you are the hero!"

"And you are beautiful too, Espeon," came a weak voice. I shook my tears away and realized I wasn't hallucinating. I could see Umbreon's crimson eyes again. He was similing at me and nudged me. I couldn't hold myself anymore and I jumped on top of him and buried my face on his back.

"Umbreon, you are such a stupid punk! How could you!" I cried.

"Oww Espeon! I may be alive but barely! And I thought you just called me a hero!"

Wes PoV

I sighed relievedly. At first I thought I had lost a brother and a friend. It would be the worst day of my life if that happened. I totally lost my breath just now well I saw Umbreon unconscious on the ground. It took me a while to recover from that. Hope that would never happen again.

I let out a genuine laugh and scooped the two Pokemon on the ground who were wrestling (to be more exact, Espeon pinning Umbreon on the ground) and hugged them tightly. It was still raining heavily but I didn't care about it anymore.

"Never do that again!" I yelled at both of them, then laughed and hold them tightly again.

"Wes..." I turned around and saw Rui, who were soaked from head to heels.

"Rui..." I said, thinking about apologizing first. "Look I am sorry I –"

"No Wes listen to me," she said in her weak and cracked voice. She took both of my hands and hold them tightly. They felt so fragile and cold. I thought about dragging her to the nearest shelter but something told me to stay and listen to her first. She leaned her forehead on my chest while still holding my hands.

"I should be the one who is apologizing. You saved my life and even became my friend. When I first met you I know you are a kind and good natured person. Then I found out you were once in Snagem and I allowed this information to distort what I thought about you. How stupid was I! I should had listened to you and let you explain. I knew that you were manipulated and lied into joining it! I knew you wanted to change and become who you are supposed to be but I rejected you because I was such a selfish person who wouldn't accept your explanation," Rui sobbed as she clutched my hands harder. "You are a knight in shining armor to me, yet I treated you as one of them. You have every right to be mad at me."

"Rui... I... you... you are such a foolish girl!" I couldn't figure out what I should say. Then I took off my trench coat and wrapped around her soaked body. "You know how expensive medicines are nowadays! C'mon, lets get you dry and something hot to drink."

With one arm I wrapped around Rui and the other holding the wounded Umbreon, along with Espeon we quickly headed towards the Pokemon Center.


	6. Wolf Tamer

I remember during the last couple months of high school I was so looking forward to be in college. I just wanted to ditch the life I was having and start a new one here. But I didn't expect my life to suck this much. I enrolled in way too many classes and worse I am living among a bunch of disrespectful douchbags. I really apologize for keeping everyone so long. I expect next semester should be better since I am going to switch out of engineering major.

I want to dedicate this story to all my fans, thank you for your undying support. Thank you so much. I am going to do my best to update more often with the best qualities.

I am going to forewarn you about this chapter. Personally I don't really like it, mainly due to the excessive amount of conversation without too much action. But things will get better. I have already planned out the next few chapters and they sound pretty solid to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, I own the plot though.

* * *

Chapter 6 – Wolf Tamer

Umbreon's PoV

Up till this point of my life, I had rarely heard Espeon said anything nice about me. She was always complaining about how immature or stupid I was. Yet just now, she called me a hero genuinely, while crying. Wes's mom always told Wes it was such a taboo for us guys to make a girl cry for us. Well I guess both Wes and I had crossed the line today.

"Hey, still alive?" a feline voice interrupted me from my deep thought. I turned around and saw Espeon, who seemed to be back to her usual serious self.

"Yeah let's get out of here, I am hungry," I replied, facing towards the automatic entrance of the Pokemon Center.

"Hold on, Wes is still at the reception."

"Eh, I need a stretch. By the way, why don't you call me hero anymore now?" I grinned at the lavender Pokemon, who only gave me a cool glance.

"Grow up."

"Hey why are you so cold to me again? Who saved your pretty neck back then?" I taunted while widened my grin.

"You know I can take an attack from that Corphish head on without hurting myself too much. Anyway... thanks." She sighed and nudged my face a bit.

As Wes and Rui walked towards us, Espeon trotted behind her owner, leaving me starring at her blankly. The spot on my face where she nudged became warm.

It also smelled like lavender.

* * *

Wes' PoV

"You know that dinner was awesome! Reminds me of an old fashion place I used to go with my friends back in Goldenrod. Especially the chowder, which for some reason taste exactly likes the one they served back home." That redhead girl I saved twice within today continued to speak nonstop.

I couldn't believe I wasn't trying to run away from her. For the entire time, from dinner till now she was the one who did most, if not all, the talking. I mean, she seemed an alright person, but she never seemed to shut up.

"And yeah you know the gym leader in Goldenrod, we actually were childhood friends, well we never hang out now, since I dunno when." She continued. I pretended to be interested by saying "right" or "uh-huh".

"By the way Wes," she suddenly asked. "That thing on your arm, the snag machine, it can literally snag people's Pokemon away right?"

"Uh-huh." I muttered dully, until I suddenly realized the sudden change changed topic. "Wait what?"

"I mean, it can snag any Pokemon right?"

"I guess it is what it was built for. Honestly the main reason I stole it is because I don't want it to be in the wrong hands, namely Snaggem. I never plan to do anything with it after I stole it, and I thought about destroying it somehow..." I suddenly spoke up. True, I never really came up with any use for this tool, yet destroying it seemed too pitiful.

"Then come with me, I got a new usage for this toy," she said and dragged me away.

~*~*~*~

"Rui... slow down, where are you trying to bring me?" I asked.

"You remember the Pokemon with the weird shadows I talked about this morning?"

"Yeah the one you were trying to tell the mayor about right?"

"Well I know it may sound crazy and such but I can really see the shadow engulfing those poor things, and I can sense they are in so much pain but they can't help it."

"I –" I stopped talking abruptly as an image suddenly popped in my mind. The memory of Gonzap's Skarmory still haunted me. I looked at Umbreon and Espeon, the too shared the concern about that strange Pokemon.

"Actually Rui, I think I know what you are talking about, and I believe the three of us have seen a Pokemon like the one you were talking about.

"Really? But can you see the shadow?"

"No," I sighed. I sat down on a bench remembering that terrifying day. Its raging eyes, its bloodthirsty aggressiveness, and its berserk power – I can never forget them. Shadow or not, I knew that Gonzap had done something to mutate the Pokemon to change it into such a horrifying monster. "My boss from Snagem acquired this Skarmory which was exceptionally violent and terrifying. It just wouldn't stop attacking its foe as if it was made to destroy anything in its way."

"Wes, I know this may sound crazy, but I believe there is a way we can save them with your snag machine. Are you willing to do it?"

I gazed at her blankly, shocked at the sudden suggestion. Yet all these time I never really had a purpose until seemingly now. Maybe this after all would turn out to be a chance to redeem all the sins I had committed. I turned to face Umbreon and Espeon. "What do you guys think?" I asked them. I don't own these guys; rather I am with them. They too, should have a voice in the team. Espeon wagged her tail gracefully while Umbreon grinned at me. I got the signal.

"You know Rui, I know these two always mad me crazy behind my back. I have done countless crazy things in my life, and I am going to continue with it."

Rui looked up. "You... you will?"

I nodded. "And I guess Umbreon will bite my ass if I don't. He loves you." Umbreon scowled at me.

"Oh Wes!" she leaped onto me gave me a huge hug. "I know you would say yes! You are truly my prince –"

"Please don't call me that again," I muttered while blushing madly. I turned and saw Umbreon and Espeon, both seemed to be smiling uncontrollably.

~*~*~*~

"You know, this brand of Full Heal is really popular in Goldenrod. It also gives your Pokemon a refreshing sensation. And you should get this too, this Full Restore is known for its rapid results," Rui continued to speak nonstop. For some reason I can't help myself from getting more interested in what she was saying.

Umbreon grinned at me. "Yeah what at least she is not making a scene like just now!" I tried to bark back quietly at my Dark Pokemon.

"By the way Rui," I finally spoke up. "Are you a trainer yourself?" She talked a lot about Pokemon, yet she never mentioned about any of her own.

"No, why asking?"

"Well you seemed to know a lot about it. I mean you know what to get for them here..."

"My dad is a professor at an university in Johto and my mom is a breeder. I just got it off from them. They, like you, cared deeply about Pokemon. They won't let me to own one though, since they always say I can't even take care of myself." She gave an embarrassed laugh afterwards.

"But you are seventeen already, and I guess you can become a great trainer. Speaking of which... when is the last time you called your parents?"

"That's... oh crap where..."

"Here." I passed her my PDA. "Send a email to them. Let them know you are okay."

"Thanks! I will do it once we are finished here. We just need to final some Pokeballs."

"Hold on, you haven't exactly told me what you want to do with the snag machine though."

"Well I believe we can return those Pokemon back to their normal state, but I believe their trainers won't do anything about it, so," she then lowered her voice. "We can snag them from their cruel trainers and find a way to purify them."

"Hmm," I looked around to make sure no one was listening to us. Coast was clear. "That's fine with me, but I thought you despised the idea of snagging Pokemon."

"I am, but this is different. We are actually saving them."

Saving them. Where did I hear it before? Oh yes, it just sounds like how Gonzap tricked me to join his gang. Without knowing, I tightening my grip.

"Wes?" Rui noticed my sudden change. "Anything wrong?"

"What? Oh yeah it is fine. I will tell you later when I have time." I immediately loosened up. "By the way that sounds fine with me. At least I am doing it for a real positive cause now."

"Great! Now we just need to find Pokeballs to snag them!"

"Rui, I forgot to tell you but – " I was cut off by the sudden clatter when all the supplies accidentally fell on the floor caused her. None of them hit us as they all fell on top of the Eeveelutions. Espeon used her psychic powers to stop the free fall, levitating the goods right on top of her head. Umbreon on the other hand was literally buried by the cans and boxes. He poked his head out of the pile and glared at Espeon.

"What is all that mess?" The old clerk dashed towards us.

"I am sorry mister, we are just looking for some Pokeballs…" Rui apologized while bent down to pick up the fallen goods.

"My child, I bet you are not from here, but I am afraid we don't carry any Pokeballs around." The clerk said. "And neither do any other stores in this region. Wild Pokemon are rare round here, and those who are determine to catch any order them from other region."

"Oh no... Wait, Wes back in your, you know, days, where did you get them?" Rui asked, emphasizing the word "days" as she probably didn't want to let the clerk know who I really was.

"Well, my er.. Colleagues also shipped them from other regions. And let me clarify that I am not going back to that place to retrieve any!" I exclaimed, know Rui would ask me this.

"Actually I know someone who has stocked up some. This guy used to be a legend. Used to venture around trying capture rare Pokemon, but that was before all of them gone rare." the Clerk suggested. Rui immediately became excited.

"Where can we find him them?" she asked.

"You guys know an outskirt stand which shaped like a train? That nice fella' who owns that place is him."

"This desert is huge! How can we find that place?" Rui put up her whinny face again.

"The desert is a small place, and speaking which I believe I had breakfast with this guy this morning." I said, realizing I might know where it really was.

* * *

Espeon's PoV

Wes never really had any human friends when he was young. He was always the lone wolf who spent most of his time with Umbreon and me. The death of his mom further isolated him from others, and he never had a nice conversation with anyone back in Snagem as he treated those bandits only as co-workers. That might explains why he cared so much about Pokemon, as we are his only true friends in his youth. Seeing how Gonzap treated the Skarmory further scarred poor Wes. I feel sorry for him.

But right now at this moment I was looking at a human girl curled up on the bed, sleeping soundly with Wes' PDA next to her. I guess she was the first human who Wes truly considered as a friend. Somehow, I guess the word "friends" was actually pretty shallow to describe Rui. Wes seemed to act cool and carefree around her, yet I knew this guy; I grew up with him. Behind his icy eyes laid a kind heart that actually had so much affection for her. And Rui… she seemed a good person after all, just like Wes, yet she had no trouble expressing it out. Innocent and simple minded, yet good-natured. I believe in a way she could help to open Wes up, to bring his kind nature out of that icy façade.

"What are you doing? Human anatomy?" An annoying voice called from behind.

"Umbreon, for the last time, aren't you supposed to be resting?"

"Come on, I am a man! That's just a scratch after all."

"You seem more like a boy to me. Grow up!"

Umbreon said nothing but continued to grin. He hopped onto Rui's bed and snuggled under her arm.

"Wait till Wes sees this," he said.

"Seriously I shouldn't hang out with you anymore," I muttered and grabbed the PDA from Rui and put it back into Wes's trench coat. I was actually quite surprised to see him keeping this jacket, as it once belonged to his father, the person he hated the most. I can never understand guys' thinking.

*~*~*~*~

The first thing Wes laid eyes on when he walked out of the bathroom was Umbreon in Rui's arms. Umbreon on the other hand wasn't asleep yet. In fact when he heard Wes's footsteps he opened his eyes wide and grinned at him. Both Wes and I rolled our eyes.

Wes sat on the other bed and I jumped next to him. He stroked my back gently, while I relaxed on his side. Suddenly Wes stood up, pick up his trench coat, walked over to Rui's bed, and put it on top of her. I smiled at him.

"Desert weather," he whispered. "It's really cold tonight. Don't want to spend extra on cold drops."

I smiled. He is a gentleman after all.

Umbreon's PoV

I ended up sleeping with Rui the entire night. Hope Espeon wouldn't be jeoulous about that. The morning sunlight penetrated my eyes, and slowly I stretched my body. Looking to my left I saw Rui was still sleeping but with Wes's trench coat covering her. I then heard someone opening the door and realized Wes and Espeon wasn't here anymore.

Wes walked in with a paper bag in one hand and a plastic cup in the other. Espeon followed him in gracefully. Man, did I ever mention Espeon looked especially cuter in the morning? If not, well there she is. Her gem was sparkling under the morning sunlight, while her eyes were basically glowing.

"Morning sunshine," I said, with a mischievous grin. "Wanna join me here?"

Espeon just walked past me, without giving me a look.

"Oh I am sorry, I just realized that I slept with another girl last night!" I said, widening my grin.

"Honesty, you cheekiness is going to kill you one day." Espeon finally replied. I couldn't help to notice she was actually giggling slightly at my joke.

"Well, until that day I got to live my fullest. Now lets chow in."

* * *

Wes's PoV

I looked at Rui, wondering if I should wake her up or not. She had a long day yesterday, being in a sack, then the rain and all. Probably I should let her sleep in for a while. I couldn't stop myself from looking at her, sleeping peacefully on her bed.

"_Wes, I know this may sound crazy, but I believe there is a way we can save them with your snag machine. Are you willing to do it?_" Her idea of saving all those Pokemon kept ringing in head. Reflecting on what I did in the past, how I snagged Pokemon and how much sufferings I had brought unto others, I felt so ashamed, yet I couldn't only blame Gonzap and Snagem for tricking me, but my ignorance and stupidity should be to blame. I used to believe I was a hero, but all these time I had been used as a pawn to do his greedy bidding.

I gazed out the window blankly, reflecting the life I used to lead, and its purpose I was manipulated to accept and serve. I gave a cold laugh at it.

_What is the definition of hero anyway_?

And here came Rui… I knew she was just trying to reach me, doing her best to understand and help me. Yet I couldn't help to ponder whether her plan will work, or even able to kick off at all. Yet, she had become a light among the dark void inside me, trying to guide me and give me a new purpose in my life. Somehow I had a strange feeling that in a way she might be giving me a chance to redeem myself…

"Got something in your mind?" a gentle voice said to me. I looked back and saw Rui up. I gave her a rare smile.

"Just zoned off. Get washed, I got some breakfast."

Noticing my smile, she seemed to blush a bit. Then she noticed my jacket and passed it back to me.

"Thank you," she said softly, and headed off to the bathroom.

I put it back on, but noticed an unfamiliar but heart-warming aroma. Something I hadn't smelled for such a long time, ever since my mom passed away…

*~*~*~*~

"Here," I passed her a bottle of milk as she walked out. "Got this specially for you. Import from Johto."

"Oh thanks! This is like my favorite brand back home! Aww this makes me feel homesick." She said while sitting down on her bed with a muffin.

"Here is more. Your parents replied your mail." I gave her my PDA. "I haven't seen it by the way"

"It's okay," she said. It took her couple minutes to finish reading the mail. "Yup, they seemed relieved that I am currently safe. I didn't tell them I got kidnapped though."

"Heh that reminds when I was young. I never told my mom when I hurt myself," I stopped abruptly; the memory of my mom was still haunting me.

"Wes," Rui whispered gently. "I am really sorry about your mother. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

"It's alright. Heh, I never thought it still makes me sour after all these years." I looked away from her and gazed out the window. Umbreon and Espeon moved jumped next to me and nudged me affectionately.

"It's natural for you to feel this way. After all she is your mother. No one can replace her role." She then squeezed my shoulder gently.

"Sorry," I said, forcing a bitter smile. "For ruining the mood. Come on, we got a long day ahead."

*~*~*~*~

"Wes," I could hear worry in Rui's voice. "Is this thing safe?"

"I never had an accident with it, if that's what you want to hear." I retrieved the two Eeveelutions back to their Pokeball and climbed onto my bike.

"I am not doubting you, but I wasn't used to anything fast," she whimpered while climbed gingerly into the side seat.

"Oh don't worry you will get used to it," I said and stepped onto the peddle.

*~*~*~*~

"Wasn't too bad eh?" I said while watching Rui fix her hair.

"That's because I passed out for a while! Awww my hair is all messed up now," she whined.

"Good, you don't want to look so dandy here in Orre." I chuckled and walked into the locomotive.

The interior was crowded with people, most of them construction workers trying to grab a bite before hauling a long day at work. The owner of this dinner recognized me and waved at me. I walked towards the counter with Rui close behind.

"You brought a lady friend with you this time." He said with a warm smile. "Coffee?"

"No thanks, I am actually here with some other business. You still some of the stocks from the old days with you?"

"Wait… Are you a cop?" He suddenly became really defensive, while crooking his face. "I don't know what you are talking about. I never had anything out of the world in this place, I swear!"

"Relax," it was my turn to smile. Damn, I shouldn't have asked in such a sketchy manner. "I am not a cop. That will be the last thing I am. I heard a rumor about you keeping some Pokeballs with you from the old days and so happen my friend here and I want to get our hands on some."

The owner scanned our face, then eased up with a sigh. "You are going to get me a heart attack soon kid. Yeah I still got a handful back here, in perfect condition. What a waste. Why you kids want them anyway? There is nothing out there to catch anymore."

"Well just in case. You see, my lady friend here is from another region and she believes there are some ultimate legendary Pokemon from out of space here. Right?" I said, nudging the dreamy Rui, who still hadn't got over from the bike ride.

"Yeah what? Oh yeah right!" she exclaimed after noticing my signal.

"Well not jinxing you but all you might find is disappointment. I searched this place inside and out a few times already and not even a single Pokemon can be found in this desert. But why not give it a try again? Who knows. Give me sec here." He turned around to the back of the room, then came out a minute later with a huge box. He took out a small dusty container and pass it do us.

"Here," He said and passed it to Rui. "On the house. Still works perfectly."

"Wow, thanks!" Rui called out and open the box. Inside sat five brand new Pokeballs. "Oh thank you so much kind sir!"

"Don't mention it. You can always come back to buy some from me anytime you want. I got plenty in perfect condition"

"Hey thanks man," I said, pounding his fist. "By the way why are you so freaked out just now?"

"Well, we were all young once, young and stupid, done things we thought as heroic, if you know what I mean."

*~*~*~*~

The return trip wasn't as bad as I expected. To my surprise Rui seemed to get the hang of it quicker than I expected. The nice manager back at the dinner also gave Rui a piece of cloth that used to belong to the "unworthy daughter of his" to Rui to tie her hair up. All the she just held onto the handle firmly without giving out a single whimper.

Thinking about it reminded me the first time I rode this thing. I was nervous and anxious, yet this skill would increase the chance of my survival and as you know, it was always about the survival of the fittest. Umbreon loved riding on this bike. I remember once he even tried to operate it while I wasn't looking. He managed to tie a few rocks on the peddle, but smart as he thought he was, his paws forbade him to keep this machine in control and he ended up spending a few weeks in bundle.

"Wes… Wes Wolf! Look out!" Suddenly I heard Rui shrieked. Snappng from my daydream I saw he were about to crash into a small hill. Yet my reflex allowed me to make a sharp turn, saving us from the collision.

Clouds of dust were flying everywhere. Rui, still unused to the desert, coughed out loudly.

"Wes, for crying out loud! It is still to early for such shock and awe! I will need to take another shower when we get back."

"Oh we don't really have time, might be another mess awaiting us back in Phenac," I teased, without any idea about the new danger awaiting us back in the city…


	7. Announcement

Announcement:

First off, I want to apologize. For the last few years, things have gone out of control in college and I have to adjust to my new life. I have kept reminding myself not to forget about this site and the fun and joy it has given me. However, like most college students, my new life requires a huge amount of dedication. Besides school works, I have extra curricular activities I have to attend to. I want to continue with this story I have put so much effort in, but as someone who prefers quality over quantity, I don't want to create something that lacks effort and publish it. Some of you might think that I am just making excuses, and even though I might be unintentionally doing so, I hope you understand that I am an adult now and I have priorities in my life, including finding a job and handling relationships that I have to worry about. So in conclusion, I apologize about my unannounced hiatus.

On another note, I have matured as a writer and realized that I should continue what I have started. Therefore, I will try to post an update soon and it can be within the next couple weeks to a few months. Even I am not sure when can I do so, and once again if you are reading this and concerned about the status about my story, please be patient. Thank you for all of your support. This story here is not dead yet, but will make a comeback soon.


	8. Her Protector

Chapter 8 – Her Protector

Umbreon's Pov

_I just didn't get it. I just drank that one bottle of soda before sleeping, and I almost pissed in bed. Just one bottle! Well, more like a one-liter bottle… but that was not the point! I just hated waking up in the middle of the night just to dash to the bathroom! Oww… better go now before I would seriously piss in Wes' bed. Luckily Wes' back was facing me, it was easier to get off while avoiding waking him up. _

_Sneakily, I slipped through the tiny gap between the door and the frame and dashed down the hallway. Luckily I was still a tiny Eevee, or else my galloping would have woken Wes and his mom up. The hallway seemed longer than usual… and right there! Luckily Wes always left a gap so that I could always use the box to take a leak in the middle of the night. How considerate of him… and yeah better hop onto the box before I wet myself!_

_Ahh that felt so good. Always a good feeling when you held your piss for a while and let it go. Now that made me sleepy again. Better head back to bed. _

_Yet as I exited the bathroom I heard someone sneezed. I froze immediately. It sounded too soft to be Wes or his mom. It might be a stray Rattata by the sound of that. I followed the sound downstairs, but then realized all the doors and windows were tightly shut. There was no way anything could sneak in, unless…_

_My guess was right. I found her behind the couch. My Eevee companion, hiding in the shadow. She was staring out of the window without noticing I was here. _

"_Hey," I nudged her a bit, without expecting she would have such a huge reaction. She literally jumped up and hit her head on the side of the sofa. _

"_Ow… what you want, punk?" she said, rubbing her head. Though sounding a bit arrogant, she was also shivering as I had noticed. _

"_Hey cutie, I come in peace," I grinned and held up my paw, imitating how the humans would hold up a V sign. _

_I expected her to rebuff by telling me to stop calling her cutie, yet she didn't respond. In fact she was shivering quite vigorously. Something told me maybe this was not the night to mess with her, so I backed up a little, thinking about returning to Wes' bedroom. However, tonight was just full of surprises. Upon seeing that I was leaving, she actually called out for me. _

"_Hey," she quivered a bit. "Sorry for being rude to you just now."_

_I turned back, and smiled kindly. "Don't worry about it. What's wrong?"_

"_Same nightmare. Haunted me once in a while. Yet scary stuff. Always see this shadow chasing us, and when Wes tried to protect us, that monster…" At that point she stopped, and for the first time, I saw a tear rolled down her cute yet tough face._

"_Hey don't worry partner. I have nightmares sometimes. Once I even had a nightmare about me wearing a pink dress and put on display!" I scoffed at that thought. My Eevee friend shared a small laugh._

"_Anyway," I squatted down next to her while putting my paw on hers and continued. "When you wake up, all you need to know is that it is only a dream and will not happen at all in real life. Wes and I will never let anyone hurt you."_

_I could instantly feel her tensed body soften up. A genuine smile spread across her face. _

"_It's a promise then!" she said brightly. "You will always be there for me."_

"_A promise is a promise!"_

"_You are such a great friend!"_

* * *

"Hey, hey! Wake up you bum. How can you ever fall asleep on this thing!"

I opened my eyes, and found Espeon starring coldly at me. She hopped off the bike with Rui, who was following Wes. Leaving me behind, I chuckled at that dream, or memory of mine. Damn, how I missed that innocent and cute Eevee. Seemed like once she evolved into Espeon, she had undergone a personality metamorphosis.

I hopped down the bike to follow the group. As we entered Phenac, we were greeted by an unexpected and menacing situation…

* * *

Wes' PoV

Ignoring Rui's complaints about the bike ride, I swung my jacket over my shoulder while tailed by Espeon and a dreamy Umbreon. This would take some time for Rui to get used to the main form of transportation around Orre, especially for a nonnative, which meant that I would need to get used to her constant nagging.

Remember how I said people from Orre had a weird sense of fashion? I still believe in this fact, except that compared to what I was about to witness today, they seemed pretty mundane. As we entered Phenac, a lady ran towards us, startling Rui who was nagging about the ride up to this point. As she stopped in front of us to catch a breath, I recognized her as the lady who watched me battle those thugs yesterday, which felt like a week ago.

"A gang… no… a troupe of color… entered the mayor's house… hairball… I need my inhaler," she gasped, while searched through her purse for the said device.

"Wait, what? That does not make sense," I questioned with a doubtful tone, yet realized nothing seemed to make sense to me at that point of my life.

"Is the mayor in trouble?" Rui asked. The lady nodded vigorously while breathing from her inhaler.

"Wes, we got to check it out! Those gangsters might have reported to their don who then decides to track us down and getting rid of anyone else involved!" Rui exclaimed.

"Calm down Rui, I doubt if any 'don' will take those 'gangsters' seriously," I chuckled. "Like they are paying the mayor a visit and _make him an offer he cannot refuse!_" Umbreon rolled on the ground, laughing at my imitation while both Rui and Espeon raised their eyebrows at us.

* * *

Espeon's POV

Human interactions are just mysterious to me. It can help to keep one's sanity even at the darkest moment. I guess that's why Wes talked to us a lot during his time at Snagem, otherwise he would have become a mindless drone unaware of the conspiracy and scam he was actually in. And I totally believe that it's a good thing to have Rui around so Wes could actually have someone who would talk back to him.

On the other hand, having to interact with Umbreon over the years had driven me crazy sometimes.

"Hehehehe, Wes is right! I guess those gangsters are planning to plant a Ponyta's head in the mayor's bed when he is sleeping and give him a little fright in the morning!" My dim-witted companion just wouldn't shut up with his lame jokes.

"Hey Espeon," he continued. "What if –"

"Umbreon!" I bellowed, couldn't take it anymore. "Can you just shut up for a moment? One of these day I… I…" I couldn't continue. I gave up and simply turned my face around. Remembering that the more I tried to fight back, the more pleased he would become and continue to torment me. I should have ignored him from the beginning.

Thankfully, he really did shut up. At first I thought I could finally have a moment of peace until…

"Hey Espeon, hey Espeon? Are you worrying about how people will come to ask us for favors on our daughter's wedding day?"

"Argh! Shut up!" It seemed my cool and calm demeanor had shattered as I showed my irrational side and jumped at Umbreon.

* * *

Umbreon's PoV

Never expected such response from Espeon. She totally caught me with my guard down when she tackled me and we ended rolling around on the ground and up finally she landed right on top of me.

I could smell her sweet breath as she was panting. I simply smirked at her, enjoying the sight. I guess this response actually might be pretty enjoyable.

"Wes!" I could hear Rui shouting. "Are you going to do something to break up their fight?"

"Meh, they do it all the time" Wes responded lazily.

_Damn right_, I thought, _walk along kiddies, leave us be_.

It took Espeon a moment to notice that I was actually enjoying the situation. She quickly jumped off and gave me a look of disgust.

Continuing to lie on the ground for a moment, I couldn't stop smiling to myself.

Weirdest thing I had ever seen up to this point… well I had seen many crazy things in my life. Gonzap looks pretty strange to me. That man's eyebrow must be growing in a rapid rate. His abs were unreal, he got to be on steroids or something, and that also explained his unpredictable behavior change. Got to be 'roid rage.

Until we entered the mayor's office and I had the shock of my life.

Behind the desk I could see the two wannabe gangsters from yesterday who were lined up next to three uniformed people with each wearing a different color – red, blue, and green. One of them is carrying a boom box that was playing some old salsa music.

And right in front of me stood a thin tall man clad in golden disco clothing with the most flamboyant sunglasses ever. That's not all. I guess all of us, including Espeon were starring at that person's hair with our jaws open.

That 'fro got to be on steroids.

* * *

Wes's PoV

That's the biggest afro I had seen in my life. It was so huge that I thought a couple of Pokemon might be residing in there. And how did he dye half of it red and the other half white? That got to require a keg of hair dye or something. How could he even balance himself? I wouldn't be surprised if he was wobbling while he walked. That might explain his shaking posture, as he seemed to be lightly dancing to the salsa music.

He didn't seem to notice us when we entered the office. The other people behind the mayor desks were also oblivious to our entrance. I wouldn't blame them for that when there was someone with an afro like that in the same room.

"Hey," I whispered to Rui. "Do you think he will notice us if I throw Umbreon into that afro?"

Afro, apparently heard my whispering, made a sudden movement by thrusting his right hand straight air and snapped his long fingers loudly.

"Halt!" he yelled. The music stopped the moment he ended his dance recital. He spun around and bent down in one smooth motion. Both Rui and I took a step backward to prevent from being hammered by that giant blob of hair.

"What do we have here?" Afro asked in a sly voice while positioned his face right in front of mine.

"Boss! That's the punk who tried to screw with us!" The idiot I battled yesterday, whom I believed his name was Folly, said.

"Am I talking to you?" Afro snapped as he turned around. Again, Rui and I stepped aside to evade from the gigantic hairball.

"So, you are that nosy boy who decides it is all fun and cool to step into our little business. That won't do, that won't do," Afro said as he pointed his long finger at me. "And you got to be the little darling who these two fools were talking about."

Rui gulped and stepped behind me. Umbreon stood up and growled at the weirdo.

"Well it's nice meeting you two, but I got to swing. Trudly, Folly, you know what to do. Don't disappoint me this time."

"Yes… yes boss!" The two stuttered.

Afro snapped his fingers again. Salsa music started playing again from the boombox as he began dancing and stepped out the office, followed by the three uniformed men.

"So… we meet again," Folly stepped forward and raised two Pokeballs. "You will pay for the humiliation you made me suffer!"

"Bring it," I replied lazily. Umbreon and Espeon had already stepped forward, awaiting for the battle to commence.

He threw his two Pokeballs out, releasing a Whismur and a Lotad. Judging by the bite marks on the Whismur, it seemed as though it was the same one that got bitten badly by Umbreon. My thoughts were confirmed when it cowered at the sight of Umbreon's snarls.

Umbreon playfully charged forward and barked at the Whismur, who became startled and collided with the Lotad. The water–weed Pokemon attempted to shake it off, only to be blasted back by a Confusion attack from Espeon. In only a brief couple of minutes, the two Pokemon were knocked out. I sighed. It was always a pity to see so-called trainers overestimated their capabilities but never put the time and effort to train their partners. This Folly got to be one of those cocky bastards who didn't even know what was a proper Pokemon battle.

"Folly you airhead!" Trudly yelled. "How can you mess up twice in a row?"

"Hey if you think you are good why don't you go get him?"

"As a matter of fact I will!" Trudly said with confidence. He snickered and pulled out a Pokeball. Folly seemed to be surprised.

"Wait bro, don't tell me…" Folly seemed to be really shocked at Trudly.

"Yes, I stole this from one of the peons at Pyrite." Trudly proudly threw it out. This time a Makuhita was released. Yet there was something different about this Pokemon. Swinging its arms wildly, the Markuhita seems to be exceptionally furious. Normally Makuhita, though competitive, were never really aggressors, yet this one standing in front of us looked extraordinary vicious. Instantly, the atmosphere in the office became intensified, reminded me of the time when Gonzap demonstrated his similarly frightful Skarmory…

"Wes," I heard Rui called out my name weekly. I turned around and realized she was starring at the Makuhita with horror. Driblets of sweat were dripped down her pale face, and her sapphire eyes were filled with fear.

"Wes… aura, I can see the dark aura around it! It is one of the strange Pokemon I was talking about!"

"And that's why you are here girly!" Trudly said proudly. "What you see here is a Shadow Pokemon! That's no normal Pokemon there, but a brainwashed fighting machine with only intention: to defeat you! You seemed to posses some special psychic power to tell them apart and that's why we can't let you running around telling others about this scheme…"

"Oh Trudley," Folly face palmed himself. "For the last time can you shut up and stop spilling everything to everyone? Just destroy them!"

"Right…" Trudley, although arrogant, seemed to be clueless about how to control the said Shadow Pokemon.

"Wes…" I felt Rui clutched the sleeve of my trench coat. "Please do something. Remember what we talked about? This Pokemon seems rather like to be the victim of some mad scientists' project. We got to help it."

I turned at her. Although I was clueless of what I should be doing, I gave her a confident nod. Although I couldn't see any aura around the Makuhita, I could tell it was actually manipulated to be in such rogue status, and although sounding idealistic, I genuinely want to help it.

"Espeon, deploy your Reflect shield and take up defensive position," I commanded at my companions. "Umbreon, get behind Espeon and wait for my signal to strike. This is no normal battle we are dealing with here."

Espeon prowled down and deployed a shield around her and Umbreon. I could tell my two Eeveelutions were also shocked and frightened at the revelation. I looked up and realized that the Makuhita was already charging towards my Eeveelutions. Though the shield helped absorbed most of the impact, Espeon seemed to be startled by the sudden assault and broke concentration. The shield shattered and both my Pokemon were blown backwards.

* * *

Espeon's PoV

This was bad.

This was nothing we had faced before. We were no longer in a battle, but a deathmatch with a bloodthirsty opponent brainwashed to kill us all. Though it was acting on its own and had no strategy whatsoever, its massive power and recklessness were beyond what we had dealt with before.

I looked at Umbreon. He lost his cocky and childish expression and was replaced by fear and distress as he dodged Makuhita's charge. Following Wes' command, he jumped in the air and released rays of Secret Power in attempt to stun the monster but to no avail. Makuhita, on the other hand, seemed to be programmed to ignore pain as it continued to charge through my waves of Confusion attack even though it had a type disadvantage against me.

As it approached me, I could see its eyes turned purplish and tackled me. Although I tried to deploy another reflect shield, I was too slow. The impact sent me flying backward as pain spread through my entire body. I had never seen an attack so reckless that it pitted its user at such close proximity with its opponent and attack with such brutal force. I tried to stand up, but weakly dropped down again.

"Espeon!" Umbreon called at me. "Why you little! How dare you hit my girl!" He flew forward tried to attack Makuhita from behind, but was swiped back and hit the shelves.

"Oh Umbreon…" I cried out at him weakly. It looked at me with a sad face that I had never seen before.

"I am sorry Espeon… I promised to protect you, yet I failed…"

"Umbreon, Espeon!" Wes and Rui called out desperately. He ran towards Umbreon and cradled him tightly. "Hang in there buddy!"

"Espeon," he turned towards me. "It's okay, you don't have to do it…"

I gazed at Wes and gave him a determined look. Although exhausted and in pain, I would never dream of failing Wes. I stood up, and gazed directly at Makuhita directly. Wes nodded and got my point.

"Rui," he handed Umbreon to her. "Please take care of him."

"Espeon," he then turned towards me. I could instantly feel the sense of trust he had for me beneath his desperate expression. "It's your fight now. I know you want to do it, and I know you can. Remember the powerful Psybeam you pulled out yesterday? It is the only thing that I can think of that can take that monster down!"

I blinked at him. How could I have been that ignorant and forgotten about the powerful attack I summoned yesterday? I gave Wes a nod and stared at Makuhita. As it walked menacingly at me again, I tried to concentrate my psychic power at it. However, no matter how hard I tried, only weak rays of beams were conjured. Although they landed directly on Makuhita, it easily shrugged them off and continued to march towards me.

"Come on, Espeon, concentrate!" Wes cried out. I tried hardly to focus, but the huge sense of fear and pressure was hindering any of my attempts to focus. In only a few seconds, the monster was right in front of me. Although scared to death, I stood firmly and still tried to conjure the powerful Psybeam attack but failed miserably. Makuhita lazily raised its muscular arm and swiped me away. I landed a few feet away and although I had not blacked out yet, I was unable to fight any longer. I gazed up, and saw Makuhita turned towards Wes…

* * *

Umbreon's PoV

Why was this happening? This was worse than anything that had happened to us. I failed Wes and couldn't even save Espeon!

"Why am I so useless…" I silently said to myself. "How am I even a man when I failed to protect my loved ones?"

Right now I saw Espeon lying at one corner. The sight of my beloved hurt and in so much pain made me madder at myself. I struggled to stand up as Makuhita faced us. Although the fighting type Pokemon was only 3ft tall, its menacing appearance is frightening enough to strike fear at anyone twice its height. It begin to grin menacingly as he suddenly charged towards Wes' direction…


End file.
